Truss brace construction



Oct. 10, 1939. w, D. FERRls 2,175,688

TRUSS BRACE CONSTRUCTION Filed May ll, 1938 Patented Oct. 10, 1939UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE 2,175,688 TRUSS- BRACE CGNSTRUCTION ofIllinois Application May 11, 1938, Serial No. 207,261

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to trusses for structural work, or truss braceconstruction, for various purposes, but more especially for use inconnection with garage doors.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved construction and arrangement whereby an adjustable trussconstruction is provided that obviates the necessity of using certainthings heretofore considered lo necessary in devices of this character.

It is also an object to provide a novel and improved constructionwhereby nat strap metal can be used economically and advantageously as asubstitute for metal rods, in a manner obviating the necessity ofpunching any holes in the strap metal, and whereby trusses or braces canbe provided of different lengths in a simple and convenient manner, fordifferent purposes, but more especially for use on garage doors of thekind that open into an overhead horizontal position.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features ofconstruction and combinations tending to increase the general eilciencyand desirability of a truss brace construction of this particularcharacter.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists inmatters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. l is a vertical section of a garage door and theadjacent portions of the building, showing a truss constructionembodying the principles of the invention, applied to the upper andlower ends of the door.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the said door.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section on` line 3 3 in Fig. 2 of thedrawing.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on line 4 -4 in Fig. 2 of thedrawing.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the parts of the said truss braceconstruction.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section on line 6-6 in Fig. 2 of thedrawing.

Fig. 7 is a similar view on line 'l--l in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

As thus illustrated, the invention is shown in connection with a garagedoor i, consisting of a single rectangular rigid section, which can beall in one piece, or made of several pieces rigidly secured together inany suitable or well known manner. This door is support-ed by arms 2that are pivoted at 3 on the lower portion of the door, inside thelatter, and are pivoted on the building at 4, and that are subject tothe tension of springs 5 that assist in opening the door, and that serveto cushion the downward or closing movement of the door. As shown, theupper end of the door is provided with means for engaging horizontaltracks 6, upon which the upper end of the door slides inwardly while itis assuming its overhead or horizontal position. When the door is in itsoverhead horizontal open position, it is supported at the opposite sidesthereof, and the middle portion is liable to sag downwardly.

Therefore, a truss brace construction is preferably applied to the topor upper end of the door, and also the bottom or lower end of the door,consisting of a flat piece of strap metal 1, anchored at its ends, andsupported in one or more metal brackets or saddles 8 at intermediatepoints, thus preventing the middle portion of the door from sagging inthe open position thereof. As shown, two saddles 8 are employed, but itis obvious that only one or any desired number can be employed,depending on the circumstances of different cases. One end of each strapis anchored as shown in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawing, by doubling theend of the strap backward and clamping it between the door and the metalplates 9 and l0, which are clamped together by the bolts l I extendingthrough the door. Thus, a very strong anchorag-e is obtained, withoutthe necessity of punching holes in the strap. At its other end, the saidstrap is anchored in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and '7 of the drawing,this end portion of the strap being bent around and turned back over theintermediate clamping plate l2, and clamped against the latter by theside portions of the sheet metal clip I3, two bolts i4 being ins-ertedat the sides of the metal strap l, to clamp the latter rmly in place, inthe manner shown. The clip 3 is swivelled on the head of a bolt l 5,which latter is inserted through the sheet metal bracket I6, which issecured to the door by bolts l?, and by screws i8, of any suitable ordesired character. By turning the nut i9 on said bolt, the flat strapmetal truss member can be tightened, and put under tension, sulicientlyto prevent sagging of the door when the latter is in its overheadhorizontal position. However, such tightening or tensioning of the twotrusses is desirably not sumcient to warp or bow the door outwardly whenit is in its vertical or closed position. Preferably, a at strap metaltruss member and its-anchoring and adjusting means are applied to thetop portion of the door, and the bottom portion of the door, but anothertruss brace can be applied midway between the top and bottom of thedoor, if such is necessary or desirable.

As shown, the door is supported by the arms 2 and the track 6, asexplained, but it is obvious that the truss brace construction shown anddescribed can be applied to doors supported by other means, butnevertheless having a vertical closed position and a substantiallyhorizontal overhead open position, and regardless of how the door issupported or mounted, it may be provided with one or more of the trussbraces shown and described to prevent sagging of the middle of the doorwhen the latter is in its overhead or open position.

It Will be seen, therefore, that the use of long threaded rods, andturnbuckles, and things of that kind, is not necessary. The flat metalstraps used as the truss members can be coiled and packed in boxes withthe other portions of the hardware, a thing that cannot be done withordinary threaded iron rods, and hence the invention provides anadjustable truss brace construction that can be packed and shipped in amuch more convenient manner. The fiat strap metal truss members do notneed to be punched or provided with holes, as the ends of the strap areanchored effectively without using perforations therein. It is easy tocut off the ends of the metal strap, where such is necessary, but thatneed not be done, for doors of different widths, inasmuch as the endportions of the strap are bent back in the anchorage provided for theend portions of the strap, and this alone is enough to take care of thedifference in widths of different doors, for the folded back end portionof the strap can be either short or long without interfering with theeffectiveness of the truss brace thus formed and provided.

While the truss brace construction constituting the invention is shownand described in connection with a garage door, it is obvious that itcan be used on other structures, and for other purposes, withoutdeparting from the principle of the invention.

Thus with the construction shown and de scribed, it is obvious that thetruss strap 2l can be cut from a long length of strapping, and does notneed any puncturing, or any upsetting or enlargement of the endsthereof, in order to serve its purpose and operate in the manner shownand described. In other words, the fiatwise pressure exerted on thesuperposed folded end portions of the strap is suiiicient to anchor theends of the latter, for the purpose shown and described, or wherever atruss of this kind may be found to be necessary or desirable.

Furthermore, with the construction shown and described, the inventionprovides a method which obviates the necessity of running any portion ofthe strap 1 through any portion of the door l or other structure to beheld rigid by the truss. The truss strap 'l is simply a section cut froma length of ordinary flat metal strapping. Thus, by merely using theexpedient of folding the opposite ends of the strap back upon itself, ineffect, more or less, trusses of different lengths can be provided forany given width or door or other structure, or trusses can be providedfor doors or other structures of different widths, but in any event thetruss is all at one and the same side of the door or other structure,and is entirely inside the latter. Hence there is no occasion toperforate the door or other structure for the insertion of the strapthrough any portion of the door or other structure, the bolts I l and l1being the only portions of the anchoring means for the truss that extendthrough the door.

What 1 claim as my invention is:

1. In a truss brace construction, in combination with a structure to beheld rigid by the truss, a flat truss strap consisting of a section cutfrom a length of ordinary fiat metal strapping, foldable at its ends forstructures of different widths, together with anchoring means for screwclamping the folded ends of the strap, having rigid points of connectionwith said structure, or for trusses of different lengths for any givenwidth of structure, thereby obviating the necessity of any perforationof the strap, or of upsetting or enlarging the ends thereof, and by saidclamping means obviating the necessity of running the ends of said strapthrough any portion of said structure.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said clamping means comprising atransverse bar insertable in the fold of the end portion of the strap,clamping means engaging the folded portion of the strap, extendingbeyond the edges of the latter, and bolts extending through the bar andclamping means, outside the opposite edges of the strap, whereby thelatter is clamped tightly and held by a frictional pressure only.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said clamping means comprising atransverse bar insertable in the fold of the end portion of the strap,clamping means engaging the folded portion of the strap, extendingbeyond the edges of the latter, and bolts extending through the bar andclamping means, outside the opposite edges of the strap, whereby thelatter is clamped tightly and held by a frictional pressure only, saidclamping means comprising a flexible member having opposing jawsembracing the strap and bar, and adjustable means engaging the head ofsaid flexible member, and adjustable to tighten the truss.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said clamping means comprising atranverse bar insertable in the fold of the end portion of the strap,clamping means engaging the folded portion of the strap, extendingbeyond the edges of the latter, and bolts extending through the bar andclamping means, outside the opposite edges of the strap, whereby thelatter is clamped tightly and held by a frictional pressure only, saidclamping means comprising another bar parallel with said first mentionedbar, said bolts when tightened serving to clamp the folded end portionof the strap directly against said structure.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, the ends of the strap beingfolded back between the body of the latter and said structure, with oneend clamped directly against the structure, and with the other endspaced from the latter, together with screw adjustment means forconnecting this spaced end to one of said rigid points of connection,for tightening the truss to the required tension thereof.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, said screw clamping meanscomprising parallel bolts disposed at opposite sides of each folded endportion of the strap.

7. A structure as specified in claim 1, one of said fixed points ofconnection comprising a pair of parallel bolts extending through saidstructure and through the clamping means at opposite sides of one endportion of the strap, and the other fixed point of connection comprisinga bracket suitably fastened to said structure, together with a screwadjustment connection between said bracket and the other folded endportion of the strap.

WILLAM D. FERRIS.

